Baton Rouge council approves new hours for Sunday alcohol sales

BATON ROUGE -- The East Baton Rouge Parish Metro Council has voted to relax the parish's blue laws to allow bars to open on Sunday.

Under the measure adopted by the council Wednesday, bars will be allowed to serve alcohol between 11 a.m. and midnight on Sundays, and stores will be able to sell alcohol prior to 11 a.m.

The Advocate reports a separate proposal to give bars the option to extend their hours to 4 a.m. on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays died after the sponsor, Councilman Ulysses Addison, deleted his proposal at the beginning of the meeting.

The ordinance change will go into effect once Mayor-President Kip Holden signs it into law but, if 12 days passes without action, it will automatically become law.